Positive psychology has its roots in the development of relationships between adults and young people and has an impact on the effectiveness of programs. Since restorative conversations use an adult as a mediator, there may be a greater gain in effectiveness if there is or is a positive relationship. Can we help students develop a capacity for empathy and a willingness to create emotional connections? Answers can be found through the application of restorative justice. There is a need to review the literature relating to the effectiveness and issues raised by the implementation and practice of restorative justice. Latimer, Dowden, and Muise (2005) conducted a meta-analysis of data collected "from studies comparing restorative justice programs to traditional non-restorative approaches to criminal behavior." “Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Researchers examined victim and offender satisfaction with the process, quality of restitution, and offender recidivism. Latimer, Dowden, and Muise (2005) found that restorative programs were statistically more effective. Daly (2002) used research from conferences in Australia and New Zealand to show a version of restorative justice that differs from the view of restorative justice advocates. Daly (2002) showed that there are documented links between retributive acts and restorative acts. Daly (2002) used previous research to explain how origin stories are sometimes used to overcome opposition and may not truly relay the truth about origins. Comparing the advocates' testimonies, Daly (2002) offered a critical examination of their efforts. She summarized her article with a reflection on the future of restorative justice and whether the original story as currently told or the real story as determined by it will be more beneficial for practices in the future. Daly (2000) raised the question of the role that punishment plays in the restorative justice process. The article does not answer the question but addresses the subject to begin discussion on the subject. Punishment is a term that resonates, both positively and negatively (in terms of its application to an event), with many people. Daly (2000) explained how this resonates with people regarding the use of the idea of ​​punishment "when it is linked to a restorative justice process, that is, an informal legal process that includes lay and legal actors, which is partly, but not entirely, state punishment. » Daly (2000) emphasizes the need to discuss this as a concern and problem linked to the practice of restorative justice. Gavrielides (2008) “argues that the restorative movement experiences a tension between normative abolitionist and pragmatic visions of restorative justice. » Gavrielides (2008) examined six issues that contribute to the tension between viewpoints and that affect the theory and practice behind restorative justice. These tensions are felt by those at the practice level and by those who conduct research, as well as by those who create policies and interpret the results and reports provided to them to make decisions about implementation and programming. Gavrielides (2008) stated that to begin to mediate issues, we need to understand all facets of the issues and how they are related, as well asthe impact these areas have on practice at both offender and victim level. As restorative justice has been created and implemented, the restorative process has been viewed through the paradigm of critical social theory by social scientists. At the XIII Congress of Criminology, Watchel and McCold (2003) provided a summary of restorative justice, as well as its application to social scientists to explain the validity of this practice. Watchel and McCold (2003) defined the foundation of restorative justice as the belief that “crime harms people and relationships and that justice requires healing the harm wherever possible.” Criminology uses a theory of social processes with three branches in learning, control and reaction. The learning branch operates from the way we learn from what we have seen, the control operates from the way crime arises from a lack of connection with elements of society and the reaction operates from start from the idea that criminals are identified as such and fully assume the identity given as their own identity. own. Restorative justice was developed as a social response to branches and as a method of establishing connections between offenders and society. Critical social theory starts from a definition that study should improve understanding of society by integrating major social sciences. Restorative justice addresses the emotional needs of victims and helps offenders take ownership of their actions, as well as the lasting effects of those actions on victims. Watson and Watson (2011) stated that critical social theory "clearly fits within critical theory and its purpose in actively seeking to empower individuals and transform societal systems and their policies and processes that reproduce the oppression and injustice. “This paradigm fits restorative justice practices extremely coherently. Using the lens of critical social theory on restorative justice can provide valuable insights to social scientists seeking methods to bring about improvements within social relationships. Wang (2013) wrote that critical social theory is “an influential approach that is guided by critical theory and that aims to raise critical consciousness. . . and helping marginalized groups and individuals resist social oppression and actively pursue cultural transformation. » Wang noted in his article that critical social theory has two important aspects. First, critical social theory “has a clearly defined notion of marginalized groups and positions their struggles against domination; in other words, the marginalized other becomes the subject of emancipation. Second, critical social theory "is based on collective identity: whether class, race, gender, or where multiple identities are recognized, the emphasis is on the coalition between oppressed groups who work together to achieve social justice through structural change. » Wang (2013) uses critical social theory to see how social justice education can be used to change structural levels that inhibit social progress. Action research as a research methodology seems best suited to answer these questions. Traditional social sciences are challenged by action research through theoretical applications that take place in the moment, as well as by data collection that occurs within structures that are being refined rather than rely onknowledge relayed by external experts using samples from variable data sources. In action research, we must be able to participate in the research by being part of the process and experiencing what happens while documenting the effects on the social community. Participatory action research seeks to understand the world by trying to change it, in collaboration and by following reflection on the changes attempted. Changes are implemented using a community research approach that emphasizes everyone's participation and action to improve themselves and society. Wadsworth (2005) noted that participatory action research helps remove the “I” from the study instead of the “I” from the study. We. “As researchers in a given society, we have an interest in our work being positive – we need to remove the 'I' in place of the 'we'. “Participatory action research can be used to examine the effects of using this research on the development of social values, community development and in educational practices. Sandwick et al. (2018) writes about critical participatory action research as a connected element of social policy at a time when we are seeing racial violence and community uprisings resulting from inequalities being highlighted. Sandwick et al. (2018) argues that critical participatory action research can “facilitate more just social policy, improving research validity, policy integrity and organizing capacity. “Empowering those subject to unequal treatment and community violence is at the heart of critical participatory action research. Sandwick et al. (2018) argues that “the most marginalized bring distinct knowledge to shape and implement research; university researchers work alongside community researchers in the design, collection, analysis and dissemination of data. » Dupont (2008) highlighted the need for participatory action research in the field of criminology, as well as a dialogue on the social values ​​of their research. This research also has the capacity to empower those who participate in the research. Liu, Gastardo-Conaco, and Wong (2008) used a “qualitative approach to recording bottom-up processes of social change and community self-awareness.” The idea that participatory action research can bring about bottom-up change is exactly what my research question needs and aims to develop. After an event leading to a breakdown in a relationship or a disciplinary offense occurring in a school, restorative circles can be organized with the offender(s) and the victim(s). These circles aim to build community and provide a safe place for teens to share their joys and concerns. Conversations within this group can range from discussing what happened over the weekend to dealing with adverse scenarios while tapping peers to problem-solve. Using this approach helps students find their place within a social group, thereby affecting minimal change in their maladaptive behaviors. Another element used in the practice of restorative justice is the restorative chat. After a behavioral incident, a series of questions are asked of the adolescent identified as the offender. The questions that will be used are: Tell me what happened. What were you thinking at that moment? What do you think now? Who did this affect? What do you think the other person's point of view is?.